Sofi Tukker is a New York-based duo consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern and I discovered this French-inspired gem during my latest rampage on Spotify. The song Johny has got a neat and thumping guitar/bass track and the vocals are very reminiscent of what I'd think you might hear in a club in Paris. Very cool...
One of the tamer lines from this monumental tune from Green Day back in March of 2005, the words of Billie Joe Armstrong are as true today as when he first wrote them 11-12 years ago. Back then, all seemed hopeless and chaotic, but having lived through those Bush years and it now being a distant memory pales in comparison to what's going on these days. Enough said! Now take a careful listen to Holiday...
From what I can find, Tayler Buono is a singer (and a talented one at that!) who got her start pretty much all on her own with covers of Justin Bieber's Sorry and Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams. on her YouTube channel, which you can visit here. A few months ago, Buono came out with her own original song, Something About You, that became a minor hit on the Internet, Technically Single is her second such song and I'm really happy to have discovered it on Spotify. The tune is arranged nicely, with some fast-paced, catchy lyrics and a smooth R&B vibe. Check it out...
Here is a song that I had completely forgotten about until I happened to hear it in a supermarket, of all places. The 1991 R&B/dance jam was and still has a great hook and it's one of those songs that, even though I haven't heard it in over 20 years, I still remember all of the lyrics. Check out Got a Love for You...
Wow! When I saw that Robin Schulz and David Guetta had collaborated on a song together, I immediately had to download it. Unsurprisingly, it's a pretty darned good song that melds the best of both of their respective sounds, as well as production trio Cheat Codes. Great tune! Check out Shed a Light...
After yesterday's Röyskopp post, you just know I had Robyn on my mind. Here's a classic from her 2010 Body Talk series. It's the dance version of the great, great Indestructible...
I went on a music buying binge yesterday, downloading all sorts of great finds via Spotify, Shazam, songs and artists recommended by friends and others. It's something I do from time to time when my appetite for new music needs to be satisfied. Here's one of yesterday's discoveries, a cool pop-dance track by Norwegian electronic producers Röyskopp. You may remember these two from their work with Robyn a couple of years ago. Actually I found this tune whilst checking out some Robyn. Though she's not the vocalist on this one, singer Susanne Sundfør does a pretty bang-up job on this easy on the ears dance tune. Check out Never Ever...
Young Aussie crooner Troye Sivan has just released a new video for the song Heaven and just like the tune, the video tackles some pretty heavy stuff. The black and white vid is interspersed with scenes of Sivan embracing a faceless man and scenes from the struggle that LGBT's have been dealing with for years. The release couldn't have come at a better time, as we here in America are faced with potential new struggles as a new leadership with a track record of anti-LGBT sentiments begins to unfold. Check out the powerful Heaven...
Note: I have duplicated this post on both John's World and John's Music World, as it relates not only to music, in this case Madonna's Express Yourself, but of my own personal view of the many protests that occurred yesterday. After not paying any attention to politics for the last 8 years (I simply couldn't deal with all of the crap being said about Obama, as well as the unprecedented obstruction heaped upon him by Congress), I now find myself in the state of mind that I need to speak, and starting with this post, I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Madonna gave a live performance of this song yesterday, somewhere in D.C., where hundreds of thousands of people were practicing democracy and expressing themselves. Though she's already been maligned for dropping a few f-bombs directed at our new President while speaking to the crowd, she was practicing the very fundamentals that Trump himself called for during his inauguration speech on Friday...
We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.
New York City
Madonna and those accompanying her in Washington were not the only ones practicing democracy yesterday. In all, an estimated 4.6 million women and their allies demonstrated in approximately 670 cities not only here in the U.S., but across the globe (Reuters, politicususa). People from all walks of life came out en force in places like Chicago (125K), Los Angeles (750K), New York (400K), Boston (250K), Denver (200K), Seattle, Austin, Atlanta, in cities across Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. The list goes on and on. It was by far the largest protest of any kind in history.
Los Angeles
Throughout the day the protests were pretty much ignored by Trump and his people. It wasn't until this morning that he even mentioned it, of course on Twitter, and of course chiding one of his named groups of adversaries...celebrities:
Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.
In his defense, though, Mr. Trump added a positive spin just a couple of hours later...
Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.
Philadelphia
Now I could go on and on about how many of his supporters took to social media to express their dismay and oftentimes outrage over the protests, but that could take awhile. All you have to do is look to see. Just as the protesters did yesterday in expressing themselves, so too, do the maligners have the same right. I just happen to disagree with their assertion that all of these millions of people are simply sore losers who are whining and pouting that they lost the election. I like to think that I am one of them, even though I regrettably did not take part yesterday.
I accept, as do many of them have accepted, that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States, and I want him to do well for all of our sakes, but we do have a right to be concerned. With all that we have seen and heard, and no, not from the "evil" news media, but from the lips of Mr. Trump himself, time and time again, things do not look good.
Mr. Trump's own words have helped widen this divide that we've been slipping into for years now, and for him to stand there on Friday, in front of four former Presidents of both parties, to tell us that this country is full of "carnage" and needs to be fixed only the way he can fix it, to me took a lot of nerve. His campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," implies that somehow we stopped being great. I just don't believe that! Just take a look at the following graphic:
Regardless of the source, these numbers represent truths. I don't for the life of me see how they reflect an America that's not great. Trump supporters like to say that now we're going to know how they felt for the last 8 years. My question to them is, Do you have amnesia? Look at the numbers from 2009, when President Obama first took office. That was the culmination of a different 8 years, where two wars were fought, one under the pretext of the one of the biggest lies ever told, complete enrichment of the oligarchy (remember Halliburton?), and the worst economic times we've faced since the Great Depression. It's funny that I never ever hear the name Bush come up in any conversation. Make America Great Again? Obama did that!
And now we have the promise of more division for at least the next four years as Trump and his largely unqualified collection of billionaires in his Cabinet will methodically dismantle all that Obama has done. It has already begun with the push to repeal Obamacare. Just like in the past, we believe that you voted against your own best interests and don't even know it. That's what has been blatantly shocking about this whole thing. But that's just how we think and only time will tell. To all of you Trumpys out there, I sincerely hope I am wrong. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump will work to Keep America Great, but I, and the millions who marched yesterday, do have cause for concern.
Atlanta
Trump said on Friday that he was giving government back to the people. Yesterday, the people spoke. They used their voices like so many before them in the times of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights and they spoke. Loudly. If I could turn back time just one day, I would have been in New York City with my fellow concerned citizens. I am proud of those who came out in solidarity and I am proud of them and this country, and for the next four years, we will be watching and expressing ourselves.
*Check out an impressive photo essay on the Women's Marches held throughout the world yesterday on NYTimes.
Here's one of my favorite pop songs from last year. It's a song that hasn't gotten too much attention but it needs to. Click play...I promise you'll love it!
Just a few days ago, on January 16th, smooth-voiced Nigerian-English singer Sade celebrated her 58th birthday and I'd love to commemorate the day with a Song of the Day. I've been a huge fan of Sade since the beginning, 1984 to be exact, when she and her eponymous band released their first album, Diamond Life. Packed with high quality songs that were a little bit on the jazz side, a little bit on the dance side (albeit slow dance!), Diamond Life got plenty of airtime in my life at the time, as did each and every one of her albums that followed over the next 27 years. Here's the song that started it all for me, a jazzy tune that's just oh so smooth. Here's Hang On To Your Love...
Here's a nice, smooth dance tune from Armada Music and Miura Keys. I discovered it and bookmarked it on Spotify when it was first released last March, and then forgot about. Well, I'm glad I re-checked it out, and you should too...
Here's a first posting from talented young singer/songwriter Charlie Puth, with the third single off of his debut album, Nine Track Mind. The tender duet with an island flavor features Selena Gomez and the video below claims to be the duos first live performance of the tune. Check it out...
For any of you Sia followers who, like me, thought that This Is Acting was done and gone with the release of her latest, The Greatest, a song seemingly signalling an upcoming record, well we were wrong. Last Friday, the super-talented and sometimes mysterious Aussie singer/songwriter has created a new video for Move Your Body, and it is a hoot straight outta the 80's. Nice, well written, uplifting tune. Check it out...
On this Martin Luther King Day 2017, Dr. King's message of freedom and liberty for all is all the more important as we await the transition of power and contemplate what is to come. Freedom doesn't come easily or without a price, and those of us that love our country have to stick together and continue to work hard, more now than ever, for the freedoms that those who've come before us had worked to hard to achieve. Enjoy the day!
I am loving AlunaGeorge's latest, album, I Remember. One of the songs from the record, Not Above Love, I placed at #24 on my Top 50 Dance Tunes of 2016 for its overall funky-ness. This one, to me, can best be described as fast-paced and in-your-face sassy. Check out Mean What I Mean...
Hello and welcome to my third annual Top Dance Songs of the Year Countdown. Though 2016 seemed like a slow year, musically, looking back I can see now that overall it was a pretty decent year in the world of dance music. With the popularity of so-called EDM, many deejay/producer acts such as Major Lazer, DJ Snake, Kygo and The Chainsmokers have all really come into their own in a major way this year and these four acts maintain a major presence on this countdown. But of course, with a whopping 50 songs on this list, there are plenty of other artists who have contributed great stuff to the dance music scene of 2016. So without further adieu, here are my 50 favorite dance tunes of 2016:
#50 - Powerful - Major Lazer, feat. Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Reilly
Released in June of 2015 as the second single off of Major Lazer's third album, Peace Is the Mission, I only discovered this one earlier in 2016 and shared it here back in September. Though not a heavy hitting dance track, it does kinda make you want to sway in a slow, methodical dance. Love it!
#49 - Sit Still, Look Pretty - Daya
You probably know 18 year-old, sweet voiced Daya from her earlier hit, Hideaway (check that one out further down the list), and her guest vocal on The Chainsmoker's hot Don't Let Me Down. Well, the native Pittsburgher released her eponymous debut EP, which I promptly downloaded. Unfortunately I didn't really find any special tunes here, except this light-hearted and very memorable song. Check it out right here in a post from October.
#48 - Starboy - The Weekend, with Daft Punk
Canadian phenom The Weekend has been burning up the charts for the latter part of the year and this mesmerizing tune is one big reason why. Check out Starboy on John's Music World.
#47 - No Money - Galantis
Pure Eurodance, from the Swedish production duo that brought us 2015's Peanut Butter Jelly. Silly, but catchy and fun! Check it out...
#46 - Ingrid Is a Hybrid - Dusky
The name of this one was what caught my attention at first, but once I took a listen, I loved, loved loved it! Funky, housey, cool! Check it out...
#45 - By Your Side - Jonas Blue, feat. Raye
Jonas Blue is yet another deejay/producer making some nice noise out there. Out of the U.K. and somewhat newish, I've got two Jonas Blue tunes in this countdown. This one is pure pop/dance joy and if you close your eyes, you might just think that guest vocalist Raye is Rihanna. Check out the vid on YouTube.
#44 - Cake By the Ocean - DNCE
Joe Jonas' band DNCE burst onto the scene in a big way last summer with this pop anthem dedicated to "cake." Check it out here.
#43 - A-YO - Lady Gaga
The year 2016 saw the return of Lady Gaga to the main music stage. Though surely many Gaga fans were likely hoping for the style of dance/pop music that she's had so much success with over the years, the new record is quite a departure from that. No, there aren't any Judas's, Born This Ways or Poker Faces on Joanne. Most of the tunes here sway more towards the countryish sounds of perhaps You and I or one of the many the standards she's performed over the past two or three years alongside crooner Tony Bennett. There are, however, two songs on this one that qualify for dance-ish, and they're both on this countdown. Here' the first, a finger-snapping, toe-tapping ditty she calls A-YO. Check it out...
#42 - The Devil's Tears - On June, featuring Tesity (Sam Feldt Edit)
This relatively obscure tune was released in late 2015, but fell upon my ears towards the beginning of last year. Though the original is a down-tempo ballad, this Sam Feldt edit turns it into a mid-tempo, chill masterpiece. With a soothing background and exquisite vocals, The Devil's Tears is one of my favorite types of tunes. Check it out in a February post on John's Music World.
#41 - On My Mind - Ellie Goulding
One of my surprise favorite albums of the year was Ellie Goulding's fantastic Delirium. This album is packed with dance/pop gems from beginning to end, and here's the first of two tunes from the record to make it into my top 50 of 2016. Check out On my Mind on John's Music World.
#40 - Side to Side - Ariana Grande, feat. Nicki Minaj
Ariana Grande had a big year in 2016, as well. Check out this sultry jam featuring rap mistress Nicki Minaj here on John's Music World.
#39 - Bamboreea - INNA, feat. J-Son
It's really too bad that Romanian dance artist INNA doesn't get more attention here in the States. I've been a fan for a few years now and her latest effort, 2015's eponymous album is full of great dance music, including this Latin inspired jam. Soooo hot! Check it out...
#38 - 24K Magic - Bruno Mars
Okay, so this one's pretty popular, and that's really the only reason I'm including this in the countdown. Otherwise, I find this one a little too formulaic and way similar to Uptown Funk. Meh! I did post it on here, so check it out.
#37 - Calm Down - Katy B, with Four Tet & Floating Points
Katy B is another dance artist I've been a fan of for quite some time now. In 2016 she released a follow-up to her 2014 smash (well, at least in the U.K.) Little Red, The new album, Honey, has a decidedly different vibe than the prior. It's a bit more down-tempo, but still well within the dance music genre. One of the earlier singles to come off of Honey is also one of my favorites. Calm Down is a bona fide late night dance track, with a steady thumping bass to go right along with Katy's sultry vocals. Check out Calm Down on YouTube.
#36 - Fragile - Kygo & Labrinth
Kygo is another artist who came into my music world in a bog way in recent years. I'd first come across the Norwegian deejay/producer back in 15 with his chill smash Firestone, and that's the genre where most of the songs on his debut album, Cloud Nine, reside. Fragile is one of many seriously well written and performed tunes to be had on this record and you can check this powerful tune out right here.
#35 - My Way - Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris' September release marked the first time since 2014's Summer that the superstar deejay/producer took the lead on vocals and the results are just what one would expect from a Calvin Harris production: lots of great dance beats playing up to some well written lyrics. It's not great, but it's good. Check out My Way...
#34 - Perfect Illusion - Lady Gaga
This was THE song everyone had been waiting for from Gaga, being the first single of of Joanne, and unfortunately though it is a good song, it's one of those tunes that takes time to seep in and appreciate. Check it out on John's World.
#33 - Good Intentions - The Chainsmokers, featuring BullySongs
Here's the first of several tunes on this countdown from The Chainsmokers. As I said in a posting of this very song back in November, I have a hard time finding a Chainsmokers song that I do not like. This one's got a rougher edge to it, a little rock mixed in with great high energy dance beats.
#32 - Cool Girl - Tove Lo
Swedish singer Tove Lo made a reappearance on the music scene in 2016 with this fun, funky tune. Check it out here on John's Music World.
#31 - Call On Me - Starley
Here's a relatively recent discovery by an Aussie singer who calls herself Starley. Call On Me is a really nice tune that's got a catchy chorus, and though I posted the original version here in November, you can catch the even groovier dance remix on YouTube.
#30 - Dust My Shoulders Off - Jane Zhang
One of the coolest songs on this countdown is a first foray onto American pop by Chinese pop/dance artist Jane Zhang. When I first posted the song back in October, the tune was retweeted several times by Zhang fans on Twitter and garnered around 100 page views (That's a lot for one Song of the Day post!). I loved the song so much I posted it again just last week and you can check it out right here.
#29 - Clumsy - Britney Spears
After a bit of a hiatus from recording new music, Britney Spears returned with her 9th studio album called Glory. Though the biggest hit so far has come from a down-tempo tune, Make Me, the record has got plenty of classic Britney dance tunes to fill many a floor. Here's one of my favorites...
#28 - All We Know - The Chainsmokers, featuring Phoebe Ryan
Our second Chainsmokers' tune to crack this countdown is the follow-up to the uber-popular Closer and is done in a very similar style to its predecessor, on the softer side, yet oh so irresistable. Check out the audio version on YouTube.
#27 - Middle - DJ Snake
Back in August, French deejay/producer DJ Snake released his very first studio album, Encore, which is chock full of great dance tunes of many flavors. This tune, found on the record, was actually released about a year before, and it's grown on me more and more ever since, getting a lot of airplay on my iPod in '16. It's one of those chill tunes with some really nice dance beats mixed in. Check it out on John's Music World.
#26 - Collide - EVVY
Now here's one of those tunes you will only find here on John's Music World. The tune is called Collide and there's very little I could find online about the artist or the song, except that it was recorded in 2014 and she is based out of New York. You can check out her Twitter account here should you find the song as good as I. Regardless, I played this one A LOT last year for the great hook. Check it out here. Oh, and check out Collide.
#25 - That Girl Is Mine - 99 Souls (Destiny's Child/Brandy mash-up)
Love, love love this funky and unique mash-up of Destiny's Child's Girl and Brandy's That Boy Is Mine by British production team 99 Souls. This one should have definitely gotten more airplay than I heard. Check it out...
#24 - Not Above Love - AlunaGeorge
British electronic duo AlunaGeorge has been around for quite some time now, and in 2016 they released an album loaded with great tunes, including this throwback, in-your-face funky jam. Check it out on John's Music World.
#23 - Something In the Way You Move - Ellie Goulding
Here's another gem from Ellie Goulding's Delirium. Fun track! Check it out here.
#22 - Real Love - Florrie
Florrie is a multi-talented British recording artist who recorded this oh so pop and dance friendly tune. Every single person who heard it played on my iPod this year asked me about it..it's that good! Check out Real Love.
#21 - Here Comes the Night - DJ Snake, featuring Mr. Hudson
Here's a dramatic, chill tune from Snake's Encore that has really grown on me in recent months. I love it so much I posted it a second time just the other day. Check it out here.
#20 - Work - Rihanna, featuring Drake
Now, Rihanna's new Anti album was thusly titled because it was supposed to be different from anything she's ever done before, and that couldn't be truer. Although this down n dirty jam is a bona fide dance track, it is the antithesis of the diva's more polished stuff. Check out Work...
#19 - Work From Home - Fifth Harmony, featuring Ty Dolla $ign
One of the biggest hits of the year came from these ladies, with a little help from rapper Ty Dolla $ign. Check out the slow, sexy Work From Home.
#18 - Stay - Kygo, featuring Maty Noyes
My absolute favorite song from Kygo last year was this melancholic dance tune. Check out the oh so sweet Stay.
#17 - Perfect Strangers - Jonas Blue
I first discovered Jonas Blue back in November and the two songs of theirs I know, I absolutely love. Though By Your Side (see #45 above) is a good one, Perfect Strangers is great! I always love a good crescendo at the chorus and this one definitely gets you going. Check out the feel good island sounds of Perfect Strangers...
Diplo's Revolution is one hard-driving dance jam that's had me dancing all year long. Check out the fantastic Danny Diggz remix on YouTube.
#15 - Can't Stop the Feeling - Justin Timberlake
Early in the summer, Justin Timberlake returned to the music scene with this feel-good tune from the movie Trolls. For a moment there, it felt like we had the old JT back, but sadly we haven't heard anything from him since. Check out Can't Stop the Feeling on John's Music World.
#14 - This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris, featuring Rihanna
The year 2016 saw a reunion of Calvin Harris and Rihanna, who recaptured a bit of their magic with this club tune that was a smash all over the place. Not as great as their 2011 classic, We Found Love, but pretty darned good. Check it out here.
#13 - More Than a Miracle - MNEK
Now here's another one of those tunes that you will not find on any other countdown for the year 2016. First of all, this freestyle/R&B jam by obscure artist MNEK was released in 2015, but even then it didn't get much, if any, notice. Believe me, though, I posted it a couple of times here on John's Music World, and for good reason. More Than a Miracle is an uplifting throwback to the 80's and oh so danceable. Thus, its high spot on my countdown. Check it out...
#12 - Sometimes - Alle Farben, featuring Graham Candy
I first discovered Graham Candy's raspy voice on Robin Schulz's 4 Life, and then I heard him on this one. German deejay/producer Alle Farben enlisted Candy for his tune Sometimes, and the song stands out as one of my favorites from the year. Here's what I said about it when I posted the song in May:
I've been waiting awhile to post this song. I'd say that over the past few weeks it's been my favorite, and for several reasons. I love the music...the percussive beats and the piano/synth melodies are contemplative and head bopping at the same time. The singer on the tune is Graham Candy, the New Zealander with a voice that's soooo reminiscent of Macy Gray, and who's been popping up on this blog a lot lately. In this video you can see that his unique, raspy voice does not match his face at all, but I love it. Finally there's the lyrics. Check em' out...
Whenever you're feeling lonely in our vacuum world,
when all the lights go out, your own land starts to blurt,
when everything around you, seem to fall apart,
and all that's left is bare, your feelings start to storm
Sometimes you're feeling stronger
sometimes you're feeling week
sometimes you're feeling colder
but the light will bring the heat
Sometimes you're feeling lucky
sometimes you're feeling on
but if you don't start believing,
one day you'll reach the sun
oah oaaaah
reach the sun
Whenever you're feeling lonely
walking in the storm
close your eyes and tell me,
can you feel the warmth?
Sometimes you're feeling stronger
sometimes you're feeling week
sometimes you're feeling colder
but the light will bring the heat
Sometimes you're feeling lucky
sometimes you're feeling on
but when you don't start believing
one day you'll reach the sun,
oah oaaaah
reach the sun
reach the sun
ooh reach the sun
ooh reach the sun
Ooh, this is the perfect storm of songs to me! I've only owned it for a few weeks and already it's got almost 100 plays. It's the kind of song you can just put on repeat for a few times and never tire of. So, if you like songs with a nice message and some great chill vibes, then check out German deejay/producer Alle Farben and Graham Candy with their wonderful Sometimes...
#11 - Hideaway - Daya
Daya is a fresh new star on the dance music scene, and though this, her debut single, came out in late 2015, it got lots of airplay in '16. Check out the sweet Hideaway.
#10 - Ocean Drive- Duke Dumont
Duke Dumont is another bona fide star in the dance music scene and has been for some time. Though I've been a fan for awhile, I never really loved his music until I heard this one, another throwback to the 80's and yet another tune that virtually everyone who heard it in my presence asked about. Yes, it's the kind of song that you can't help but love the first time you hear it. So if you don't know Ocean Drive, now here's your chance...
#9 - Closer - The Chainsmokers, Featuring Halsey
I am sure this smash hit by The Chainsmokers, with a lil help from songstress Halsey, is probably their highest charting single to date, and I am also sure it's been on many a countdown of 2016's top dance hits. Though I love the song, perhaps it was played too much for my taste, otherwise it might've finished higher than #9 here. Besides, it's not really that dancey. Check out Closer on John's Music World.
#8 - Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers, featuring Daya
Now here's a hard-driving dance tune I can always get into! With a mix of Daya's strong vocals and some really heavy club beats, this is among my favorite dance tunes of the year, for sure! Check out Don't Let Me Down.
#7 - Turn the Music Louder - KDA, featuring Katy B & Tiny Tempah
I love Katy B, and I discovered this song on her latest album, Honey, though it wasn't recorded specifically for the record. Instead, the tune was made for a project named KDA and features British rapper Tiny Tempah, and woof, the combination of a hard-driving dance beat mixed with Katy's strong vocal AND Tempah's smooth raps makes for one hell of a dance jam. Check it out...
#6 - Let Me Love You - DJ Snake, featuring Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber scored two tunes on this chart last year with Where R U Now, with Skrillex, and his own Sorry, and this year he doubles the fun with two more dance tunes, both collaborations. This one was one of the year's biggest hits anywhere and it is so deserving of a top ten spot here. Check out Let Me Love You on John's Music World.
#5 - Gold - Kiiara
Here's a tune that I loved the very first time I heard it, even though I couldn't understand what the heck she was singing. Check out Gold.
#4 - One Dance - Drake, featuring Kyla & Wiz Kid
One of the steamiest jams of the year came in the form of Drake's One Dance. So hot! Check it out...
#3 - Cold Water - Major Lazer, featuring Justin Bieber
Here is the other Justin Bieber collaboration, this time with dance music production group Major Lazer. Though many prefer the previous tune, I think this one's a bit more, well, dancey. Check it out on John's Music World.
#2 - This Girl - Kungs Vs. Cookin' on 3
This song! One of those tunes you hear and love, but you never quite know anything about. Well, I'm here to tell you that if you've gone to any sort of club last year, you are sure to have heard this one. Smooth vocals, island feel and the horniest and danciest of horns. Check out This Girl...
#1 - Cheap Thrills - Sia
If anyone ever doubted Sia's prowess as a dance artist, well then this song shattered those myths. The tune, from the singer/songwriter's This Is Acting album was reportedly written for Rihanna, who may regret turning it down. Regardless, there's nothing about this tune that's not to like, so check out the awesome Cheap Thrills... Oh those opening notes!
Well, this took me long enough to compile, but there you have it, my picks for the best dance tunes of 2016. I hope you found this post entertaining and I look forward to sharing more great music, especially dance music, in the coming year!
In case you haven't noticed, Ed Sheeran is back, and hotter than ever. It's a little more than a week ago that Sheeran released two brand new singles from his forthcoming third studio album, and by the looks of things, I'm by far not the only one excited about it. As of this writing, Shape of You sits at #2 on the iTunes chart for top selling singles, while the other, Castle Hill, resides at the #17 spot. Shape of You surely ranks among Sheeran's best, with his typical storytelling style set to a pleasantly rhythmic track. Check out Shape of You..
Since yesterday's post was the first Kelly Clarkson tune in a long, long time, I figured I'd post another for Flashback Friday. One of my all time favorite Kelly songs...so good!
God, it's been so long since I've posted anything by Kelly Clarkson! This is why I love music so, though. You see, this has been a really tough week here in these parts. My furnace went kaput on Saturday and I was without heat in my house for a full four days. Ugh, right? Yeah, well the ordeal isn't over as there may be more to come from that situation (Oh, I am so due for a John's World post!).
Anyway, back to loving music. For the past few days, I've found plenty of songs to go with this winter lament, and yesterday I was finally able to post a song that I was really happy to post...Glen Frey's The Heat Is On. Well, in the two days since I've gotten heat, things have not looked much better/ My pants ripped in class today (a bad one!) and I also am the proud owner of a cracked windshield (Thank you Mr. Truck, for spilling all of those rocks onto Sunrise Highway!).
So now I found another song to fit my life, and it's Kelly's Stronger. The way I look at it is, yeah, so I've had a few problems, major ones, but I will get through them and come out for the better in the end. If I don't look at it that way, then really, what's the sense? Thanks Kelly! Enjoy Stronger...
Four days, no heat in my house, but finally, now that the outside temps have raised, my furnace is finally fixed. Ugh! (Sorry about the Spanish subtitles...just the way my week is going!)
Okay now, so this s getting ridiculous! Today is day #4 of my own personal cold hell. Turns out I've got such a uniquely industrial furnace that the part I need is hard to find. Lucky me! It's 46 degrees in here as I type this, but at least I've got a nice space heater to keep me toasty. Oh, and by the time my furnace is fixed, the temps outside will be well into the 50's. Anyway, here's a great song that I haven't heard in like forever...
Every so often, the song I post here reflect what is going on in my life at the moment. Yesterday's song, and especially today's are two such tunes. You see, on Saturday, the gas valve on my furnace broke and there was no place to get a replacement over the weekend. On what was the coldest day of the weekend, that was a bad thing. The news hit me hard on Saturday as I came to the realization that it would be a very long, cold weekend, and so I tried to put on a better face yesterday. With temps in the single digits last night, my house at the moment is a whopping 4 degrees. Yes, I'm Frozen, but hopefully not for too much longer...
Shawn Mendes has been flying high ever since the latter part of 2016 with his stellar sophomore album, Illuminate. Here's the debut single off that record, a song I woke up with in my head this morning. Check out Treat You Better...
It's been a long, long time since we've heard anything from Mary J., and a long time since even I've taken a listen. While we wait patiently for new music from the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, at least we've got plenty of old songs from her catalog to listen to, including this, one of my all time favorite jams. Check out Family Affair...
Here's one of those wonderful songs that came and went sadly without much fanfare. Though I wouldn't expect this 2014 neo-disco/girl-group jam to hit it big again, at least I can give it a little new life here on John's Music World. Check out the cool cool Reflections...
We continue with some of the best dance/pop songs of 2016 with a very cool tune and an equally fun video by Chinese newcomer Jane Zhang, with a little help from Timbaland. The lighthearted tune is replete with great vocals and a pleasant, snap your fingers kinda melody. Click play below...you won't be disappointed!
Here's another tune from my in-progress countdown of 2016's best dance tunes. It's British deejay/producer Jonas Blue and a very Rihanna-ish singer on one hot pop/dance tune. Check out By Your Side...
I am in the midst of compiling my list for the top 50 dance tunes of 2016 and here's one of my favorite entries. DJ Snake and company have had a busy year, with several hits off the Encore album, including the uber-popular Let Me Love You, featuring the Biebs. This song is more club and less pop than that one, but loving the vocals and the music. Check out Here Comes the Night...
I had a really hard time choosing a first Song of the Day for the New Year. I wanted, like I do so often, to make some meaning out of my choice relevant to the particular day, and this first day of 2017 just beckons for a meaningful choice. The year 2016 was a rough one for many of us, and I know there are plenty of people who are glad it's over, including me. Over the past month especially, there have been so many deaths both in the celebrity world and even in my own personal sphere that you can help but contemplate just how precious life is.
I've been thinking a lot abut life during this recent period and I've come to the conclusion that yeah, life is meant to be lived, and not simply to be going through the motions like many of us do, I am guilty of that myself most of the time. The concept of a bucket list, which first came to light in the movie of the same name, is a little morbid, perhaps, but it does speak to this idea of living life to its fullest. And so my choice of Nelly Furtado's song version of the concept is very appropriate for today, As we all make our resolutions to lose weight or quit smoking in the new year, I am going to make an effort to go through my bucket list more than ever in the coming 12 months. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy Nelly's song. Happy New Year!
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